NwP: From Nobuko's Perspective
by midnight-tessa
Summary: The plot from this story will at times intersect with that of the drama, but it will look at things from Nobuko's point of view, rather than Shuuji's. I've attempted to address her life outside of school as well. Warning for abuse/bullying themes.
1. Chapter 1

Author's (Very Long) Note: Since Nobuko's life outside of school was rarely touched on in the drama, I've tried to stay true to her characteristics and give her a bit of a history. This will be my take on Nobuta wo Produce, from Nobuko's perspective.

Then, how did I decide on her history? Well, It's hard for me to accept that she became so emotionally damaged by the words of her step-father. ("I may have married your mother, but I'm not your father.") It must have taken years to reach such a mental state and from what I've seen, her step-father doesn't seem particularly bad.

So, that dreaded, "what if?" rang through my mind. What if we were only told half the story? What if the 'step-father' we see in the series is merely the mask that he shows the public? We've seen Shuuji display two very distinct personalities and I'd bet he's not alone in doing so. The idea seemed logical, so I ran with it.

Now, without further ado, please read on and I truly hope you enjoy the story.

Post Author's Note: Some of this chapter came straight from the drama. I owe a debt of gratitude to the original writers and actors – I've stolen the scene with love, I swear! (Please don't sue!)

--

"If only I never married your mother," a man's voice shot out. There was no mistaking his anger – his tone of voice made it more than clear. "She wouldn't have left me for some asshole and forced me to take in her pathetic excuse for a daughter!" He reached out and grabbed a handful of hair, all the while sending a fist hard into the stomach of the young woman who stood before him. "Get out of my sight you worthless piece of trash!"

He pushed her down and walked toward the kitchen, grabbing yet another beer from the refrigerator. On the floor remained his step-daughter, Nobuko, who was clutching her abdomen and trying desperately not to cry out in pain. As the saying goes, 'silence is golden'. Noise often lead to another beating. She knew this all too well, for this was her life... or at least it had been since her mother had walked out.

For whatever reason, Nobuko's mother had left behind her only daughter and second husband. Without so much as an explanation, she had simply packed up her belongings and left. While her step-father was sure she had another man, Nobuko really didn't care anymore because it had been over six years since she'd seen her. Not once had she stopped by, called, or so much as written. She knew she had been abandoned and figured it didn't do any good to question why.

Shortly after her mother had left them, her step-father had turned to alcohol. Since then he'd regularly blame Nobuko for all his troubles. Naturally, she was also the one he released all of his anger upon. Not wanting to chance that her step-father might return to the living room, Nobuko quietly picked herself up from the floor and headed out the door. Six years of his anger had been more than enough and she wasn't about to settle for another six years of it.

As Nobuko made her way through the streets, images filled her mind of the willow tree she had spotted two days ago, just after they'd moved into their new home. The tree seemed like a whole other world to her. As she watched the tree, she saw herself – shaking and alone. She figured it would be the perfect place to end her life.

She stood in shock for a moment when she reached the harbor. They were taking it! The tree - her willow tree – had been ripped from the ground and was being tied to the deck of a large ship! When she reached the end of the pier, she fell to her knees. All that was left was a large empty hole. Again, she saw herself. She saw her spirit torn from her body, and the big empty void that it left behind. Why was the entire world against her? Why couldn't she even die beneath the one tree that she had chosen?

That's when she heard it. An hysterical scream for the missing tree. "Gone! The willow tree is gone! Why?" The mysterious voice cried out to the fishes, to the heavens, and to anyone else that might be listening. Apparently she wasn't the only person missing the willow.

Slowly, Nobuko stood up and silently watched the young man frantically searching for the tree.

"It couldn't be... the willow fairy?" The young man had finally spotted Nobuko. Clearly frightened, he backed up as she slowly walked closer. It wasn't long before he'd fallen backwards onto the ground.

"The willow tree," she told him, "If you're looking for it, it's gone. Today... they dug it out and took it somewhere."

"Oh... really?"

"Because it was a willow tree... it wasn't the greatest thing to hang myself from, but..." She trailed off, searching for the right words.

"H-hang yourself?" He asked her, shocked.

"The way that it was shaking, somehow, it didn't seem like it was from this world. It was kind of... good." Hoping to emphasize her point, she attempted a smile.

"Ah... your stomach... does it hurt?"

It did hurt – and badly. In fact, the pain from the earlier punch had barely decreased, but there was no way she would tell him that. So, instead, she simply replied, "Why?"

"Well... just now... your face looked like you were in pain."

"I smiled," she said, once again trying her best to put on a happy face. It wasn't technically a lie either, because she had truly been trying to smile. I guess having no reason to smile in such a long time, had left her very out of practice.

"You smiled, didn't you?" He said in agreement as he scrambled to his feet. "You smiled... you smiled," he continued to repeat as he fumbled onto his bike and took off as quickly as he could. One time he did look back, but he quickly continued on.

So once again, Nobuko was on her own. Defeated, she looked at the ground knowing she had nowhere to go, but back home. So slowly, she walked back through the streets and watched as the skies gradually became darker. By the time she reached her home, the sun had fully set.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's (Somewhat Shorter) Note: So I lost my notebook – not really fun, but an opportunity to re-evaluate just where I wanted to go with this story. It also allowed me to go back and do more thorough research into the characters. I studied them for a long time on screen hoping to find any reactions (subtle or not) to better understand what it is they may be feeling. Anyway, this was the latest result.

--

As Nobuko slipped a key into the lock, she prayed silently for no one to be home. Without a sound, she pushed open the door and listened. Though she heard nothing, she still stepped though the door with bated breath. As quietly as she could, she closed the door behind her and walked cautiously into the house.

No lights were turned on, so she used the wall to guide her as she walked. She had no intention of turning on the lights, because she didn't know whether or not her step-father was actually home. She'd made that mistake before and wasn't about to do it again. For all she knew, he'd passed out on the couch hours ago and was still there now.

SMASH!

She gasped, stopping dead in her tracks. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she heard the sound of broken glass falling to the floor nearby. When the smell of beer filled the air, she immediately knew what had happened. _He_ was indeed home and had just thrown a bottle of beer in her direction.

Flicking on a light, Nobuko's step-father demanded, "Where have you been?!"

Still half in shock, the only word she could manage was, "Out." She became quiet and locked her eyes on the floor.

He rose to his feet and quickly closed the distance between them. Taking a step backward, Nobuko heard the sound of glass crunching beneath her feet. When he did reach her, he grabbed her by the chin and forced her back against the wall.

"Where...have...you...been?!"

It was a simple question, but a mix of fear and shock kept her silent. Unable to speak, all she could do was look at him.

Apparently he didn't appreciate her lack of response, because he backhanded her across the face, letting her head snap to one side. When she didn't make a move to face him, his anger seemed to grow. "Answer me, dammit!" He yelled, again raising his hand as if to strike her.

"The... the pier," she stumbled over her words, just hoping they'd be enough to satisfy him.

Whether or not the words had been enough, he simply replied, "Clean up this mess," and kicked at the glass, spreading it farther into the room. He left her and headed for the kitchen.

She went to the closet and grabbed the broom. She swept the floor to get rid of the broken glass before returning with a mop to clean up the beer that was slowly turning into a sticky mess. When she was almost finished, there was a knock at the door.

Nobuko figured that dinner must have arrived, because no one else would be knocking at their door this late in the evening. When her step-father answered the door, she knew she had guessed correctly.

Though they hadn't lived in the area long, she already recognized the delivery man. It meant they were having Chinese... again. Her step-father paid the man at the door and brought the bag of food into the living room. Sitting in front of the television, he cracked open one of the containers and started to eat.

Without sticking around, Nobuko took off down the hall toward her room. She had some admission papers that needed to be filled out before tomorrow morning.

Since she originally had no plans of attending school, Nobuko hadn't bothered with the forms. Now, with her suicide plans ruined by the people that had ripped the willow tree from the pier, she figured it was her fate to go on living. Whatever happened, she'd just have to endure it.

When she was finished with the forms, she sat quietly in her room listening for the tell-tale signs that her step-father was leaving the house. He would often take off at night, go to the bar, and not return until after midnight. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally heard him leave.

She walked down the hall and into the living room. The take-out containers were still on the table, so she went over to investigate. He hadn't left her much tonight, so she decided to save it for tomorrow's lunch. If she came to school without food, the teachers would question her about it and that was the last thing she wanted.

Grabbing the containers, she carefully emptied the contents into her lunch box. She put the empty boxes into the garbage, and put her lunch box into an empty fridge. Then she got herself ready for bed and entered into a restless slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's (Much Shorter) Note: Wow, this has been kicking around in my computer for quite some time. After a bit of a polish, I'm releasing it into the world. Hope you enjoy it!

--

Unable to fall into a deep sleep, Nobuko tossed and turned in bed. She awoke several times, thinking about what tomorrow might bring. She didn't want to be the 'transfer student'. Transfer students always became the center of attention. She'd rather be ignored altogether – things would be much simpler that way.

Hoping to take her mind off tomorrow, she focused her thoughts to her willow tree. For a moment it worked, and then she sighed knowing she'd never see the tree again. It seemed so fitting that she had found that tree. Even now, she and the willow tree were one in the same. Both torn away from the places they belonged. _If only her step-father hadn't run up his debts..._ Why had she just thought of that?

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't stop the memories that came flooding back. Thoughts filled her mind of the men who had entered her home, taking anything of value. A moving truck had parked out front and the bank had reclaimed nearly everything they owned – including the house.

Then she remembered the tiny apartment they moved into after that. She also remembered the third overdue rent notice that was taped to the door soon after. Most of all however, she remembered the night that her step-father came home and ordered her to pack her things. That night they left yet another home and their newly acquired debts behind.

Closing her eyes, she tried to forget her past. Why couldn't she just forget everything and start over? Tears were now rapidly forming in her eyes as she laid there sobbing. After she'd cried away every ounce of energy, she finally fell asleep.

--

_GASP!_ Nobuko woke in a cold sweat, her breathing rapid. Unconsciously, she bolted to an upright sitting position, her hands making fists in the blankets around her. Her heart was pounding and fear invaded her every emotion. She sat there shivering. Her eyes darted around in the darkness, but without the light, she could see nothing. Slowly she brought her knees up to her chest and tightly wrapped her arms around them, as tears silently rolled down her cheeks.

_SLAM!_

Nobuko jumped and again gasped for air. Silently, she listened. Her step-father had just returned home and she could hear his footsteps as he walked down the hall.

_Step… step… step…_

Time seemed to slow down. She closed her eyes, but quickly reopened them as images she'd rather forget played on the back of her eyelids. At least with her eyes open, she couldn't see anything and not seeing anything was much easier to deal with.

_Step… step… _

Then there was silence, followed by the sound of a wooden door quietly sliding open further down the hall. Nobuko released a long-held-in breath, that she hadn't realized she'd been withholding. When she slowly returned to reality, she feared that she wouldn't be getting anymore sleep that night.


End file.
